Charge-forming apparatus for internal-combustion engines.



I. T. SHUMAKER.

CHARGE FORMING APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28, I9I2.

Patented 1000. 4t, 1917.

5] no A U601 226 GIIMM JOHN T. SHUMAKER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

CHARGE-FORM ING APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

masses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. a, rare.

Application filed February 28, 1912. Serial No. 680,431.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. Si-iuMAknn, of Rochester, in the county ofMonroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Charge- Forming Apparatus for Internal-CombustionEngines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, and to thereference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention relates to internal combustion engines and it hasfor its obj ect to increase the efficiency of the explosive mixture andto prevent to a greater degree than usual the accumulation of productsof partial combustion in the engine cylinders and the escape andconsequent waste of unburned fuel. I obtain these results by introducinginto the explosive mixture or charge a roportion of Water vapor, and

' further Ob](-)CtS of my invention are to provide simple, cheap andefiicient means in connection with the charge forming apparatus forgenerating the water vapor and to utilize the heat of the engine forsuch generation. To these and other ends the invention consists incertain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will behereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointedout-in the claim at the end of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an internal combustion engine providedwith a charge forming apparatus constructed in accordance with andillustrating one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailsection takensubstantially in the plane 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several figures indicate thesame parts.

The particular type or construction of engine is immaterial so far as myinvention is concerned, and, therefore, I have illustrated a ratherconventional engine that is shown to comprise a crank case 1 andcylinder castings 2. The intake pipe that supplies all of the cylinderswith the explosive mixture is indicated by 3 and the exhaust pipe orconveyer that drains all of the cylinders of the gaseous products ofcombustion, is indicated at 4, the said pipe preferably extendinghorizontally exteriorly of the engine.

Any one of a number of types of carbureter may also be employedproviding it has an air intake and a gasolene or other fuel supply withwhich fuel the air is mixed to form the charge that is delivered intothe cylinder. Such a carburetor is indicated generally at 5 in thepresent embodiment being provided with a discharge connection 6 into theintake pipe 3 of the engine, and with an air intake in the resent formof a vertically extending pipe In the present embodiment of my inventionin which the exhaust pipe 1 is horizontally arran ed in the positionshown, this air intake l of the carburetor preferably extendsvertically, as shown, and terminates in a hood or enlarged portion 8that closely encircles, or partially encircles, the exhaust pipe 4, itbeing open to the atmosphere, however, at one point 9, preferably on theopposite side of pipe 1 from that on which is located the connection 10between the carburetor intake 7 and the hood.

With the construction thus far described, it will be seen, that theproportion of air constituted in the charge is sucked through the intake7 of the carburetor by the engine piston, or such other means as may beemployed in the particular type of engine used and enters through theopening 9 of the hood 8 so that it first passes over the heated exhaustpipe 4: which, in itself, is an advantage as it is thereby rendered moreefficient in volatilizing, absorbing and mixing with the liquid fuel inthe carburetor proper. In the further practice of my invention, however,I introduce into the intake 7 with the air a quantity of water vaporpreferably at the point 9, and to this end I provide a water reservoir11 having a pipe or conductor 12 leading therefrom into the opening 9 ofthe hood 8 or to such point that it will apply a flow of water to thehot exhaust pipe 4 within the hood, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. In thepresent instance, the pipe 12 terminates just above the exhaust pipe 1so that the water will drip upon it and the flow is regulated in anydesired manner, as by a valve 13.

The parts may be so proportioned on account of the limited amount ofvapor that is required that the exhaust pipe 4 will not be materiallycooled by the flow of wgter tice which, inordinary cases, is applieddropby drop so that the steam or vapor is generated instantaneouslyunder normal conditions and is readily taken up by the air rushing intothe intake 7 through the opening 9. It is desirable, however. that therebe no possibility of any unvaporized water being admitted to thecarbureter and I, therefore, prefer to apply to the heating orvaporizing element 4 a covering of noninflammable absorbent material 14,such as asbestos, so that if the pipe 4 has not arrived at the properhigh temperature at the time the flow from the pipe 12 is started, suchflow will be absorbed andheld adjacent the exhaust pipe until the latterhas obtained sufficient heat to dissipate it. Such a circumstance wouldarise, for instance, in the'present embodiment, when the engine is firststarted and before the exhaust pipe 4 has conveyed enough of the hotexploded gases to become hot.

It is preferable, when convenient, to keep the water in the reservoir 11warm as it is thus more quickly vaporized and I, therefore, prefer tomount the reservoir on the engine, as shown, so that it will derive someheat from the cylinders before it is applied to the vaporizer.

It is Well known that Water vapor or steam greatly aids the combustionof carbonic and hydrogenous gases and substances,

particularly in superheated surroundings Where it is readily decomposedand, therefore, when vapor is introduced, in the pracof my mvention,into the explosion chamber of an engine and is superheated by the earlypart of the explosion in which the free oxygen of the air is combined,it readily furnishes active oxidation for any unexploded gas that mayremain and tends to consume, as well, much, if not all, of the freecarbon that in most instances is carried off intact through the exhaustor deposited within the explosive chamber with the effect of foulingmoving parts of the engine to which it is accessible.

It will be recognized that no fixed formula can be givenfor theproportions of Water, air and gas that should constitute the explosivecharge as the nature of the fuel, the type of engine in which it isused, the type of carbureter and other matters make it expedient to varythe percentages in different instances, but with the ordinary gas engineI have found that the introduction of approximately lk} grains of waterper cubic foot of air with the ratio of air and gas as usual gives goodresults.

I claim as my invention:

In a carburetor mechanism, a carbureter having a carbureting chamberprovided with an air inlet, an exhaust pipe, an annular chamberencircling said exhaust pipe and provided with an opening for admittingair, a water conductor discharging into said annular chamber and againstsaid exhaust pipe, and a conductor connecting said annular chamber withsaid air inlet.-

JOHN T. SHUMAKER.

